Back from seeing Rheumy nurse !

[nellysgran]

Saw a different rheumy nurse today dont know where my normal one was, anyway i was told to go and see rheumy because i have been in so much pain the last few weeks.

So today this other rheumy just said that i had no swollen joints so everything was ok !!!! even though my bloods were a bit high,!! I showed her that i could not even move my shoulder because of the pain so she said alright i will give you a steroid injection in your shoulder.

Asked about changing my meds and she said wait till you see the Consultant in 4 months.

So as you can see i came away not a happy bunny !!

Seems that if you dont have swollen joints they dont want to know.,

Sorry just had a moan,

Wendy

[miss]

sorry to here you had a less than helpful time time today. I would go and see your gp. Love your cat x

[allanah]

oh Wendy, that must be so disappointing for you and I am not surprised you feel like a moan! I would be spitting feathers lol. you know sometimes i think when you are trying to be brave they just put you off, 4 months is such a long time to wait, but if you do get worse or even just not coping with the pain i would phone the helpline again.

Or get to the GP and ask for different or stronger painkillers cos they dont sound as though they are doing enough for you at the moment.When will you get the shoulder injection ? It sounds like the sooner the better and there is definitely no need to wait 4 months if you are in pain, keep pestering them until you get the help you need I think. hugs but gentle ones . whats you cat called? Axx

[nellysgran in reply to allanah]

Hi Allanah, my cat only has 1 eye so he is called Nelson !!

I had my shoulder injection today, so feeling a bit better now, Thank you

Wendy xx

[allanah in reply to nellysgran]

That is a brilliant name! I have had Brian, pearl, puss, and rabbits Lilo and stitch.! Wired names but Nelson is great! Glad u got the injection, don't forget to rest it now xxxxxx

[126Jessie]

I had a similar experience last week.

Ive seen a consultant 3 times over the last 6 months ( different one each time!!!) Appointment 1- no visible swelling. Appointment 2 - painful shoulder visible swelling in hands and arm- injection given. Appointment three- no visible swelling. I like you have been in pain. Last consultant mentioned Fibro as well as RA. I find after waiting 2 hours for an appointment ( always runs late) I am rested and my inflammation goes down a bit, that coupled with a middle of the day appointment- my joints always fare better around lunch time.

I was very distraught and felt fobbed off last week so I am now taking pictures of my swollen hands twice a day, hopefully they will see that the inflammation and offer some help on my next visit in 5 weeks time. Maybe take some photos and phone your rheumy nurse for an earlier appointment if you are still in pain. It is awful when you feel they are only looking at your inflammation at your 5 min appointment and missing the big picture with you the patient right in front of them. If you have an understanding Doc it may be worth speaking to them too. Your wee cat looks lovely too.I have a 7 month old black and white kitten and she is a little terror with the most innocent face xx

[cathie]

Can you find out more about the consultant? Is there one with a good track record? The GP should be able to write a letter asking for you to see that one. Or - if that isnt possible for you to be seen more rapidly. Having to wait and parked on steroids is not proper treatment.

Good luck C

[nellysgran]

Thank you for all your replies, I have calmed down now so feeling a lot better, sorry again for my moan

Wendy xx

[Hidden]

Wendy I'm amazed at how many on this site are "parked on steroids" as Cathie describes it? I can't take steroids (they make me bipolar) and actually I'm quite thankful in a way because it seems to me that these doctors rely far too much on them. If they can't see swelling then they should try using and ultrasound (not that this has ever been done with me!) and be looking at the bloods as not everyone shows up swelling - I don't but luckily my bloods do. This disease is systemic and they can't see what's going on inside you so its ridiculous to rely so much on visible signs. My son broke his wrist at school when he was wee and the GP refused to refer him for x-ray 3 times because he didn't pass the criteria - and it four weeks later it turned out to have been a full fracture!

Push them harder to use bloods and ultrasound and take photos too. Tildax xx

[oldtimer]

It is such a waste of NHS time and money when appointments are wasted by inadequate skills. I had a completely useless appointment yesterday and still feeling angry about it. The consultant I usually see (who is good) was not there - on annual leave. So I saw the senior registrar who was teaching another doctor - this usually makes them behave well - but not in this case.

He did not look at me at all, only at the notes or the computer. When I, in my usual assertive way pointed out that I had swollen red joints in my hands, he didn't even glance at them - just told me that the X-ray taken three months ago didn't show any erosions. He then commented on my age - why? Was he implying that I should have painful joints because of my age? And he said to carry on with the present treatment.

Only when I argued with him that it was not controlling the inflammation, did he back track and suggest that I should have another blood test for the ESR & CPR that day. I asked if that would change his management and he said it wouldn't! - I told him that I was due for another routine test in three days time, so I would have it done then and I left before I became too "emotional".

A complete waste of his time, the doctor learning and mine too.

[pinksugarmouse in reply to oldtimer]

It's not good to think that such a rude and inconsiderate registrar is influencing a student doctor. He might be able to recite textbooks of information but if he has no people skills he is not fit to teach.

Why do so many senior doctors think that using basic manners shouldn't apply to them?

[harvestingkarma]

I realised in 2006 I was in a bad situation with RA and had to go figure for myself. The pain is bad all the time but I just tell it to go away and get on with whatever I want to do regardless of my whole body aching. Rheumy nurse I see once a year and consultant once a year. The consultant is ok and on the ball the nurses do not even read your notes and have no clue what they are doing. Might as well visit GP or phone it in I find! I inject golimumab which is working better than all the other things and I fight. The pain wears me out especially in my neck, ankles, hands, wrists, shoulders, knees, hips and feet. Other than that life is a beach!! I wish

harvestingkarma and keep on moaning, does you the world of good, dump those negatives and fill up the space with dreams of delight, whatever those are for you!!